Politics or Prayer?

The presidential election is heating up with the usual smear tactics at the forefront.  Opinions on how to solve our nation’s problems are as varied as the colors in the world.  Those who hold to the world view that government, whether big or small, is the ultimate answer to all our problems will spend part of their life disappointed with the results when their candidate isn’t elected.

For those of us with a biblical world view, we realize that government can make law but never control a man’s heart.  Jesus reminds us in Luke 6:45, “The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart.  For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.”

The answers for our nation’s problems aren’t more subsidized programs, politically correct efforts, or pork barrel programs.  It is a God-sent revival.  Unbelievers will scoff at this seemingly simple solution.  In response, I present what happened in Wales in 1904 when the Spirit of God fell on people who were right with Him.  Change in the society began to happen.

By 1904 God was at work in many places and in many people throughout Wales.  The nation was like a tinder box God had prepared for the quick spread of revival fires.  God chose to send us a young boy named Evan Roberts in a special way.  Evan worked in the coal mines of Wales, but he had a great burden for revival.  For thirteen years he prayed for an outpouring of God’s Spirit.  Prayer meetings with different groups of God’s people became a major emphasis in his life.  Early in 1904 Evan accepted God’s call to preach and he went to school to prepare.

Following a Sunday school service, Seth Joshua led in prayer.  One of his requests was, “Lord, bend us.”  The Spirit of God used that simple statement to touch Evan’s heart.  On his way out the door he kept praying, “O Lord, bend me!”

God gave Evan a burden to go to his home church in Loughor to conduct a week of services with the young people.  Following a Monday night prayer meeting on October 31, 1904, seventeen your people stayed to hear Evan’s message.  Hi message had four points:

1. You must put away any unconfessed sin.

2. You must put away any doubtful habit.

3. You must obey the Spirit promptly.

4. You must confess Christ publicly.

That night all seventeen responded to his appeal. Crowds increased nightly.  The Spirit was poured out on the nation as God’s people returned to Him.  Lost people were dramatically converted--70,000 in two months, 85,000 in five months, and over 100,000 in the six months following that October meeting. 

These commitments were life changing.  Taverns closed due to the lack of business.  The crime rate dropped radically leaving the police with little to do.  People paid old debts and made restitution for thefts and other wrongs committed.   There was even a work slowdown in the coal mines as the mules had to learn the new language of the converted miners.

News of the revival spread to other countries, and people were stirred to prayer.  Soon God was at work in nations around the world bringing people to Himself.  –COPIED-

When the Spirit of God truly comes into people’s lives, society will change for the better for everyone.

See you Sunday,

Pastor Jeff